Kavazović: The strength and stability of our society will depend on how successfully we transfer values to the youth

(Patria) - The Reisul-ulema of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina stated that the strength and stability of our society will depend on how successfully true values are transferred to young people.

On the occasion of the beginning of the new mekteb and school year and the organization of a fundraising event for the expansion and adaptation of the girls' department of the Gazi Husrev-beg Madrasa, the Reisul-ulema delivered a sermon today in the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque in Sarajevo.

“Allah, the Exalted, created man in the most beautiful harmony and endowed him with numerous abilities. With his intellect and reason, man recognizes God's signs around him, and with the spirit that the Merciful Allah has breathed into him, he is connected to the world of eternity. The spirit is God's light in man, which inspires him with inner knowledge. All our inner experiences and feelings, such as shame, remorse, compassion, and justice, belong to the world of the spirit, which, although invisible, gives true meaning to our existence and moves our thoughts and will towards the higher mysteries of life,” said the Reisul-ulema.

He emphasized that one of those mysteries is “that in obedience and devotion to the Creator, we reach the level of humility and modesty that all creatures show before God's greatness in worship”.

“Arrogance and insolence, when they become dominant patterns of social behavior, can lead humankind towards destruction and chaos. God's prophets suppressed greed and avarice in the nations to whom they were sent, and they encouraged the spirit of mercy and the sense of justice. In order to preserve the moral code of humanity, the Merciful Creator inspires His servants in every era to oppose crimes and violence,” said the Reisul-ulema.

Reminding that tomorrow is the beginning of the mekteb year and the enrollment of children in these centers of initial upbringing and education, the Reisul-ulema stated that a wide field of acquiring knowledge and building character awaits them and their teachers.

“Much effort and sacrifice await them. Our task is to provide them with the best conditions and all aids for diligent learning and development into responsible, virtuous, and honest people. We must also keep in mind the numerous challenges our children face,” emphasized the Reisul-ulema.

He assessed that we are witnessing a general crisis of meaning and a system of disturbed values.

“The questioning of traditional values, rooted in our identity, causes emotional insecurity and an increased sense of fear in young people. That is why the wings of mothers, the warmth of home, and the joy and security that only the family can provide are there – to calm emotions and dispel fear. Perhaps more than ever before, it is necessary for the care, love, and dedication of parents and family towards children to be strongly expressed. The mekteb is certainly a reliable support in this,” stressed the Reisul-ulema.

He added that “we have a noble task ahead of us to awaken in them, through good education and upbringing, the power that reigns in the world of the spirit”.
“The power of this light will illuminate their souls, and they will be able to discover their primordial nature, and thus recognize the true faith, towards which the All-Merciful Lord created all people.

The strength and stability of our society will depend on how successfully we transfer true values to young people. Our wise predecessors said: 'The world is a garden adorned with five ornaments: the knowledge of scholars, the justice of rulers, the honesty and virtue of citizens, the honor and loyalty of merchants, the skill and diligence of craftsmen and workers',” he stated.

Furthermore, the Reisul-ulema pointed out the fact that this generation of Muslims has an opportunity for lasting good.

“During Mi'raj, Muhammad, peace be upon him, saw people harvesting in fields where they had finished sowing only the day before; he noticed with great surprise stalks that were growing again immediately after being harvested. Gabriel, peace be upon him, explained to him that these were Muslims who dedicate their good deeds and their efforts to spreading the faith, and whom Allah will reward abundantly, giving them seven times a hundred grains for all they did in His service. This generation of Bosnian-Herzegovinian Muslims is honored with the opportunity to record imperishable good deeds – el-bākijātus-sālihāt – deeds that will outlive us – in the book of their good deeds,” stated Reisul-ulema Husein-ef. Kavazović.

“After all kinds of plundering to which we have been subjected in decades of foreign boots trampling this beautiful and wonderful Bosnian garden of ours,” added the Reisul-ulema, “we have rolled up our sleeves and are rebuilding what was destroyed, reclaiming what was usurped, and building anew; structures appropriate for our time and the needs of that time”.

“There are numerous opportunities for all of us to sow our seeds, which, God willing, will bring us seven times a hundred grains of delicious afterlife fruits. Certainly, dear brothers and sisters, such an opportunity is our support for the construction of a home for the female students of the Gazi Husrev-beg Madrasa in Sarajevo. The cramped and inadequate space in which generations of our daughters have diligently learned about themselves, their people, their homeland, and their faith will be able to be expanded and made suitable for the needs of the school and the desire of many girls to continue their path in this temple of knowledge and upbringing. I call on all our benefactors and well-wishers, all Muslims and good people, to join in supporting this exceptional endeavor.

When this great work is completed, as a community and society, we will be proud of what we have done,” concluded Reisul-ulema Husein-ef. Kavazović in his sermon.

After the Friday prayer throughout the entire territory of the Islamic Community, both at home and abroad, a fundraising event was organized for the second phase of the reconstruction, adaptation, and expansion project of building 'B' of the girls' department of the Gazi Husrev-beg Madrasa in Sarajevo.